


Bartering Clothes

by wartransmission



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Bromance, Highschool AU, Highschoolstuck, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-22
Updated: 2013-02-22
Packaged: 2017-12-03 06:05:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/695036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wartransmission/pseuds/wartransmission
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There have been looks here and there, as well as murmurs and giggling gossipers every time he bothers to notice his surroundings. It's really not helping in killing off the rumour mill, but hey- at least it gives people something to do. It isn't even like he could just kill off the one-year trend that the rumours are almost always about him and Egbert being an item- although they've been, apparently, hiding it. (They're real smooth, if the gossip is anything to go by.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bartering Clothes

**Author's Note:**

> A drabble! Hoorah. Maybe I'll expand this highschoolstuck thing, someday.

The varsity jacket is warm on his skin, soft on the inside (surprisingly) and smooth to the touch on the outside. The body is blue, the sleeves white with the cuffs blue striped with white. On the front-left, written in cursive, is "John Egbert."

Dave Strider is no John Egbert, but the jacket is damn comfy and wearable inside their air-conditioned classrooms. There have been looks here and there, as well as murmurs and giggling gossipers every time he bothers to notice his surroundings. It's really not helping in killing off the rumour mill, but hey- at least it gives people something to do. It isn't even like he could just kill off the one-year trend that the rumours are almost always about him and Egbert being an item- although they've been, apparently,  _hiding_ it. (They're real smooth, if the gossip is anything to go by.)

It's hilarious, so he never bothers to correct them. John, on the other hand, is more than willing to dissuade people. Which isn't very effective, considering how they treat their friendship. Although Dave himself can't see how they're gay at all, what with John being keener on the XX end of the gender spectrum. 

Okay, yes, it might look somewhat weird whenever they're wrestling with each other on the ground- but isn't that what kids do? Play around?  _Wrestle?_  What the hell are two guys supposed to do when they feel like messing around? Arrange a round table for their classmates and settle for a tea party? (He could actually work with that, if they changed the tea into apple juice.)

And then there’s the staring.  But really, did they even _bother_ to think that maybe they were trying to hold a staring competition? Jesus fuck, these people are fucking intent on digging out homoerotic subtext.

That’s barely even the beginning of it. There’s still the bartering of clothes, the ironic (or not so ironic, maybe?) affectionate touches, the innuendos thrown in each other’s way, the fact that Dave has seen and known far more of John’s naked body, with the same holding true for the brunet.

But they barter clothes because they’re _friends_ and they can do that, and because John’s clothes are damn comfy and John still _can’t_ bother to remember where his Dad always buys them, the prick. They’re affectionate with each other because it’s funny, and it makes people uncomfortable, and because hey- if you’re not comfortable with your own best friend, then who the hell else can you be comfortable with? The innuendos exist because they’re teenagers, and how the hell can they help it, really? They have rampaging hormones, their minds are inclined to living in the gutter, and who else to share your jokes with other than your best friend?  And goddamn, Dave has seen John’s naked body because _skinny-dipping exists._ That, and he had to help the dumbass get dressed when he got stupidly drunk that one time. John saw Dave because…well. Not like Dave really gave a shit who saw him naked. Even Rose has seen him, and Jade- although the latter was an accidental one. Rose is his sister, so- yeah. Obviously.

Then again. It isn’t like he really cares, is it? What does it matter, anyway? It wasn’t like anyone would attempt harassing them about it, not when John is pretty much the stereotypical quarterback who will kick your ass to the other side of the world if you try to embarrass him or hurt one of his friends. Difference being, he actually has some brain in him. (How the fuck else would he be able to get away with all of his pranks?)

Dave, meanwhile, is that kid who’ll chop your belt off without you even noticing it- so there’s that.

It’s why he ignores the murmurs, keeps his hands warm in the pockets of John’s jacket, all while mentally taking note of their Algebra homework for tomorrow.

_(Although, if he had to be honest, he’d admit that he liked wearing John’s clothes because it gave him a comforting feeling of belonging somewhere, to someone. It affirmed his friendship with John, gave him something to hold on to that reminded him of just how much he had of the brunet.)_


End file.
